By our correspondent
A 68-year-old widow from Agbere Community in Sagbama local government area of Bayelsa state, Madam Okubere Kalabi, has called on government and public spirited individuals to come to her aid in rehabilitating her 39-year-old autistic daughter, Mary Kalabi.
The daughter, born in 1984, has been sick from birth, but the situation became worse when the owner of the house she was living gave her eviction notice because she could not afford the increase in rent from 160,000 to 200,000 naira.
The poor widow who was reported to the police for allegedly trying to run away from the sick child was arrested by the operatives of Ekeki police division in Yenagoa, until a Non Governmental Organization, NGO, Eunice Nnachi Women Advocacy Foundation (ENWAF) came to her aid to secure her release and offer help to her.
She said: “I don’t have problem with my landlady, but the trouble started when she increased the rent from N160,000 to N200,000, I told her I am a widow and have retired from work and I can’t afford the money, but she began to abuse me and told me to take my Imbecile child away from her house.
“I have not owed her, but she insisted, the next thing she started removing the doors and louvers, that was when I went to the Church for three days prayers, even when I was bringing food to my daughter, she accused me of trying to run away from the child.
“I couldn’t take her along while going to the Church because of her autistic condition, but when I returned, I only saw the police coming to arrest me because they felt I have abandoned my sick daughter.
“If I couldn’t abandon her for 39 years, why will I abandon her now? that is why I plead for help so that I can take care of her now, I’m retired and I’m looking for good medical solution.”
The Divisional Police Officer, CSP Victor Osam, who resolved the issue after detaining the widow for two days, urged the mother to take good care of the sick child and not to abandon her.
Founder of Eunice Nnachi Women Advocacy Foundation, (ENWAF), Lady Eunice Nnachi, called on public spirited individuals to come to the aid of the helpless widow, Madam Okubere Kalabi.
She said: “Madam Okubere Kalabi from Agbere Community, whom we met at the Ekeki police state was locked up for two days, for allegedly abandoning her 39 year old daughter, Mary Kalabi as the landlady evicted her from her house.
“She is calling on the good people of Bayelsa state, the government, Nigerians and other public spirited individuals to help her pay for rent, start a business and feign for her autistic daughter.” She said.
